HOW MUCH SIN IS TOO MUCH?
Here’s a question for you: how sinful does a nation have to be to deserve judgment? Or how righteous must a country be to escape the wrath of The Almighty? In the Old Testament (before the Cross), God told Abraham He would spare Sodom if He could find 10 righteous people in the city. TEN righteous people would preserve the wickedest city in the entire Bible (Genesis 18)!
Let’s think about this for a minute. Is there a ratio? Like 10 righteous people spare a city of 100,000 wicked people, so 100 righteous people would preserve a city/country of a million wicked folks? Okay, here’s another question to ponder: does God destroy countries because of their wickedness or because of a lack of righteous people? Are we not the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus? Aren’t we the salt of the earth? What exactly are we preserving?
RELAX, JUDGMENT DAY IS COMING
The Apostle James made an interesting observation about judgment. He said, “Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Maybe we should just let God deal with judgment on Judgment Day, while we extend mercy to people who don’t deserve it. Come to think of it, that’s how I got into the Kingdom! Yep! While I was STILL a sinner Christ died for me. How about you?
JUDGMENT IS IN VOGUE
I have been called everything from an “ear tickler” to a “false prophet” simply because I refuse to give people what they deserve. I’ve often been rejected by the so-called “famous prophets” because I’ve publicly renounced their judgmental prophecies. I’m convinced many of them are just angry people looking for a place to vent their rage. I love what Paul wrote to the Galatians: “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
PASS THE SALT
Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?” (Matthew 5:13). God, in all His wisdom, caused the thing that preserves things to also be the same thing that adds flavor to them.
The Apostle Paul picks up this theme when he said, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Colossians 4:6). Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Maybe it’s time to salt the earth with LIFE. What do you think–a time to be kind? It kind of has a ring to it!
